With school deadlines fast approaching, many college students find themselves stressed to the limit with a barrage of papers to finish in a matter of days. Although there are always those students who seem to be able to pump out paper after paper with seemingly no problem, most will find themselves hard-pressed to write something that a professor will really appreciate.
Stop worrying. Writing a great term paper is all about the formula and content, not some magical talent that few are born with. The process can be broken down into 8 simple steps. Follow these steps, and you’ll have a great paper every time.
1. Start as soon as possible
Ideally, a student would receive an assignment and be given a number of weeks with which to write it. As most college students know, however, this is rarely (if ever) the case. Many times professors will assign papers with a week’s notice.
First, don’t panic. Even if you only have a week, that is plenty of time to write a high-quality term paper. College students are masters of procrastination, and the most important thing to remember is that the sooner you begin, the sooner you’ll be done, and the process is much less painless on your time than, say, pulling an all-nighter and trying to shove some facts onto a page.
2. Learn to research smartly
Students must make the very best use of their time, so the number of hours spent researching have to be reduced.
Read the first line of a paragraph. If it sounds interesting and useful, keep reading. If not, move on to the next paragraph. Scholarly papers are organized with a thesis statement being written first and supported later.
If you think that you can use the information, write it down on a note card. This makes cross-referencing and source documenting MUCH easier later. Also, it makes for a well-organized paper.
3. Organize topics
Now that you have all of your note cards ready to organize, the process will start to move more quickly.
Place your notecards out in order of importance. A paper should be written with the most important information given first, going down the line to your weakest statement last. Some would argue that the best information should be given last, but professors tend to disagree. Many professors will place judgment on a paper before they’re even halfway through reading it.
Group your notecards into similar topics. This will make your paper sound more organized and scholarly. The last thing a student wants is a paper that states topics in a disorganized manner.
4. Analyze your subject
A term paper isn’t just a display of all of the research a student has done on a topic. It must also display the student’s analytical thoughts.
Don’t just rely on what the scholars say. If you disagree, state so in your paper (it’s ok to have an opinion). Whatever you do, don’t use the first person (NEVER say “I” in an academic paper). For example, instead of saying: “I disagree with Dr. Smith”, say something like “What Dr. Smith fails to consider, however, is …” etc.
Go into depth. The analysis is really the meat-and-bones of your paper. It’s okay to quote a book and then talk about that quote. For example, it’s ok to say “Dr. Smith states ‘human behavioral analysis proves similar to that of the chimpanzee’. In other words, many of the things that humans do can be comparable to the actions of chimpanzees, such as x, y, and z.” Don’t just write down boring fact after boring fact; really discuss what you’ve researched. (Besides, the more you write here, the longer the paper will be.)
5. Write a rough draft
If you skip the step of writing a rough draft, your paper will take much longer. Outlines may or may not be necessary, depending on your style, but rough drafts are always important.
Your professor will never see your rough draft. Don’t fall into the trap that you must write a perfect rough draft. Rough drafts are just that: rough, disorganized, and sloppy. The most important thing is not that you sound intelligent, but that you get all of your ideas down onto the paper.
6. Reread, Reorganize, Rewrite
If you’ve used the note card method and written a rough draft, this step takes surprisingly little time. All you have to do is read back over your rough draft – preferably after a day or two – and change things around until it sounds the way you’d like.
7. Learn MLA format
Whatever you do, DO NOT PLAGIARIZE! This can lead to academic suspension, expulsion, and a permanent mark on your record. Other schools will not admit you. Employers will not want to hire you. Academic dishonesty is not a joke, it will come back to haunt you.
In order to avoid plagiarism, you must document every idea that you took from someone else. The MLA format of citing sources is the one most commonly used in university, with the exception of the psychology field.
One great tip is EasyBib.com. You supply the information and the citation is formatted for you.
8. Done!
Don’t forget to make your presentation sparkle. Use a cover sheet with your name, the professor’s name (don’t forget the Ph.D. if they have one!), the course number, and date on it. Stapling is very common, but if you really want to stand out, put the paper in a presentation folder available at any office supply store.
Now go have a beer. You’ve earned it.
